Your embassy should have done background checks – Sam George jabs Dutch ambassador over visa denial

Sam Nartey George, the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram has accused the Dutch Embassy of not exercising due diligence in their denial of the visa application by colleague MP for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini.

Sam George in a social media post criticized the embassy for not conducting sufficient background checks on Suhuyini before refusing his

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He described as ‘flimsy’ the reason given by the embassy for the denial, urging the ambassador to ‘respect’ the diplomatic protocols.

“If the Embassy had also just checked the background of the applicant, the flimsy excuse of lack of social ties would not have been given as a reason to deny the visa. Respect MUST be mutual and reciprocal. The choice of route is yours Sir. Choose wisely. Cheers.”

Sam Nartey George was responding to a tweet by the Netherland Ambassador to Ghana, Jeroen Verheul, who had explained earlier that persons who are refused visas should make known their concerns to the embassy instead of using media platforms to call out the embassy.

Jeroen Verheul in a reaction to a GhanaWeb story identified a gap in communication and encouraged the Ghanaian lawmaker to respect the relations between the two nations.

“If the visa applicant only spoke to us directly, instead of through the media, we could avoid a lot of misunderstandings and miscommunication in the (social) media. That’s why it is important to have diplomatic relations and bilateral embassies,” he posted.

Suhuyini said, he was denied an entry visa into the Netherlands with the explanation that he would not return to Ghana although he submitted all relevant documents.

“For the Netherlands to ignore my status as a member of Parliament with the responsibility to an entire constituency, which was known to them, my valid travel visas to the UK and USA and my numerous previous travel records, which indicate I have never overstayed any visit abroad, my beautiful family, and deny me an entry visa on the basis that, there was insufficient evidence that I have significant social or economic ties to my country to prompt my return after my intended visit, could only have been deliberately taken to provoke me and also undermine Ghanaian state officials and diplomats.”